What's the Story? #1

I call it #1 because this is the first one I've done personally. Anywho, on to the exercise!

This picture can go many, many ways to the creative eye. How creative are you? I want to know:

Who the Characters are in this. That means I want to see character sheets, descriptive ones, that tell me their personal stories, and who they are.
What is their goal? Are they on a quest to find an amulet? Are they running away from someone or something? what is their purpose?
Can the lion talk? What about the girl, what is her business with the lion?
The scene; what is going on in the scene and how does it relate to our hero's, or villain's plight or story?
What emotion are they feeling in this shot?

Tell me their story. If you want a real challenge, (not including the character sheet), write their story in 400 words.
​

Here's a character sheet to help start you off. You don't have to use it, it's just a guide:

I tend to be a bit aggressive but I don't let not being in control trip me up.

Favorite Genres:

Honestly I like anything, fantasy, modem, horror etc. as long as it makes sense in some way.

Genre You DON'T Like:

I tend to stay away from magical because things just end up popping out of no where but if the rules are defined and clear then I love it just like any other genre. Not really into romance as much either but if the premise is nice I enjoy it as much as any other.

(Lion first)
Name: *roaaaaarrr* in lion tongue. In ours: Maroc
Age: 9
Gender: Male
Personalty: Proud and strong willed. Honorable, courageous, and brave (there's a difference between courageous and brave)
Allies: Amrita, his pack
Enemies: *roaaaaarrr* in lion tongue. In ours: Durian, the leader of the enemy pack
I don't know the average height and weight for a lion but he's that
Scars: Three across the right side of his belly where his brother scratched him while playing when they were young.
History: Maroc was groomed at an early age to be the alpha of his pack which rules over the African Serengeti. When his father died of old age he inherited the ruby amulet which granted him the power to see and commune with the spirits that watch over this plane of existence.
(And now the girl)
Name: Amrita
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Personality: Optimistic, smiley, happy, free spirited.
Allies: Maroc
Enemies: None really. You could say Durian since she helps Maroc best him but she doesn't consider him enemy, just an enemy of a friend
Height: Three feet-ish? Maroc is average height and she's a bit smaller than him.
Weight: In the seventy/sixty range probably
Scars: None
History: Amrita is a spirit, born into another plain than ours "It's complicated and even I don't fully understand it," she always says. When she was young she began training to look after their human counterparts but didn't like it, leaving and deciding to live in our world where there was less responsibility. However no creature could see her except a funny Lion with a pretty necklace. "He always gets mad when I call it a necklace" *giggles*
She decided to stay and live with him and warn him whenever Durian made plans to steal the amulet.

Rubin had done his duty. He'd kept Anastasia safe from the madness of the World, of the crumbling society around them. Between the horribly skewed Communism, the murder, the drugs and other such things, he had done it. He had kept her safe.

"Rubin," Anastasia whispered to the massive lion, "Where do we go now that we're Safe?"

Rubin found himself challenged. "We live out the rest of our days."

Anastasia made a face. "I have numbered days. 60 or 70 years. But you don't. You're immor..."

She was silenced as Rubin pulled her into his massive mane, nuzzling her. "No," He sighed, "We are both immortal. I will make it so, Anastasia. I promised to keep you safe, and I shall keep my promise."

Anastasia smiled as she felt a fountain of eternal youth flow into her being. "Thank you, Rubin." She giggled, "Thank you."

"It is my gift." Rubin soothed. "Now that we're Safe, I'm allowed to make you immortal, like me." He smiled at her. "There is no need to worry anymore."

More options

Lion
immortal being.
He has sworn revenge on the village that killed his family. He spent the last 20 years planning his return, and he wants the King to suffer for his crimes.

Cecily
14 at the time of being cursed
She was the daughter of the King. She spent her whole life inside of the walls, for fear of the Lion's return. The one time she ventured out, the Lion got her.

Watching as the last rays of sunlight as they circulated over the remains of what was once a peaceful village, the Lion thought back to the day. The king had offered a cow to him, like that would right the wrong. How... odd. No, he had a right to destroy the village. They had killed his wife and young cubs, leaving the bodies on for him to find, except for his mate. Her skin became the bed where the King's daughter came into being, and then she was born upon it. The king had built the town on his land.

The lion stole what was his, and then he destroyed the land. Now, using the blood of her mother the Queen, the lion enchanted the King's daughter. She would do whatever he bid, the moment he ordered her to. She became immortal, so the Lion could torment her for all time. Of course, the King was still alive, just trapped within the ruby at the Lion's throat. That way, he could see all the torment and labor the girl would do. She would be a wonderful slave, and this would be a terrible punishment for the King.

"Dance for me, Cecily. Don't cry." Only a single tear had rolled down her cheek as she danced over the ruins of her world. Cecily wanted to weep for her friends, and for the innocent's slain by the horrible monster. However, she couldn't. She rose up in a salute to the moon, up on her toes, when her master spoke. "Stop there." Oh, the agony. Her legs trembled, for you were not supposed to hold this pose for long. She tried desperately to drop out, but she was frozen. The Lion moved forward, causing her fingers to be entwined in his fur. "Dear girl. you will be mine. You will soon know what powers I have. And don't expect a rescue. Nobody knows you are alive, and nobody would take you from me." He bade her to climb onto his back, and then they raced off, him towards his palace, her towards her eternal prison.

More options

Several Posts a Day, A Few Posts A Day, One Post a Day, A Few Posts a Week

Writing Levels:

Advanced, Prestige, Douche, Adaptable

Genders You Prefer Playing:

No Preferences

Playing Style- Passive or Aggressive:

Both

Favorite Genres:

Fantasy, Romance, Magical, Fictitious, Mystical, Dark & Light

Genre You DON'T Like:

Sci-fi, futuristic

The soft red gem in the Lion’s collar glowed as he neared the lifeless figure that lay in the grass. He was slow and hesitant, as if she might awaken at any moment, but he knew that she wouldn’t. He knew that she was dead.He slowed to a stop when he reached her body. He leaned down and pressed his dark nose to her forehead, closing his blue eyes. He could feel the warmth around his neck as the amulet glowed, pouring a new life into the lifeless woman.She was old, with a wrinkled face, thinned grey hair drawn back in a bun, and a frail figure. Beside her lay a basket that seemed to have fallen from her hands – perhaps she had been out picking berries or gathering herbs, something of the sort. Whatever the case was, this elderly woman was now dead.As the Lion opened his eyes and lifted his head, he saw a figure standing before him. She looked relatively solid, but for a mysterious ghostliness that gave her a slight transparency, right around the edges, when she moved. She lifted one hand, gazing curiously at it. She lifted the other. It was this same woman, but the wrinkles were gone. She was young again, and beautiful. She had long, flowing silvery hair and a flowing, goddess-like blue dress.“Wh-what happened?” she asked, stepping back and gazing down at the body that lay between them.“You died, my dear,” answered the Lion. The warmth from around his neck had faded. The amulet had fulfilled its purpose, at least until he had delivered this soul to the afterworld.“Who are you? You’re a lion? You can talk?” she asked, seeming afraid.“I am your spirit guide,” answered the Lion, bowing his head graciously. “You may call me…Lion.”“What happens now, Lion?” asked the beautiful woman, her pretty blue eyes beginning to look around her, her expression becoming one of frantic fear.“Well…I suppose that you tell me your name,” answered the Lion. “Tell me your name and tell me your story as I carry you to the afterworld.”The girl stopped as she heard his answer. She stared at him for several long moments. His simple statement – tell me your name – had brought a certain calmness back to the worried woman.“My name is Elizabeth,” she answered. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, tell you my story.”“Climb up on my back,” said the Lion, bowing down so that she could do so. She seemed afraid, tentatively moving forward. “It’s okay, grab on to my mane. I feel no pain.” With that said, she grasped the thick fur of his mane and pulled herself up. She was light. He had lied. Her hands pulling on his mane had hurt him greatly.“Where are you going to take me?” she asked.“The nearest afterworld access is just North of the little village,” he answered. “So we’ll be going there.”“The mountain?” asked Elizabeth.“More of a hill. What’s mountainous is relative,” he said to her. “Now, tell me about yourself.”“I – er – my name is Elizabeth Montgomery, but I was born Elizabeth Bradshaw. I live in the little village near here, and I am seventy-one years old.”“That’s an excellent age, you must certainly have been in good health,” the Lion told her.“It didn’t stop me from dying, apparently,” she answered.“No, but everyone dies eventually. Continue telling me your story, please.”“My husband’s name is Joseph Montgomery. We have five children together – Sarah, Mary, John, Michael, and Julie. Julie passed away when she was six – she got sick…” Elizabeth’s voice trailed off and tears came to her eyes.“You’ll see your daughter again soon,” said the Lion. “She’ll look just as you remember her, as young and as beautiful as she was when she was healthy.”“But I want to see my husband again,” said Elizabeth.“Your husband will come and join you one day. For now, he needs to be in the village, alive and helping your children to cope with your passing.”“They’ll certainly miss me,” said the woman, hanging her head.“They will, but they’ll be happy that you lived a full and happy life. Do you have any grandchildren?”“Sarah has two daughters, Victoria and Lauren. Mary has a son, Peter. John has no children, and Michael has a daughter named Olivia. She’s brand new, only a few weeks old. She’s so tiny and perfect…” There was a certain happiness in Elizabeth’s voice when she spoke of her granddaughter that made the Lion smile to himself.“I’m sure that you raised your children to be good people, and that they will do the same with your grandchildren. You can watch them, you know – look at them any time you wish from the afterworld and see what they’re doing. You can watch little Olivia grow up, see how beautiful she becomes, see how much she is loved when she marries, see the beautiful great-grandchildren that she gives you.”“But I want to be there with her,” said Elizabeth. “I want to hold her again.”“Have you held her before?”“Yes.”“Then treasure that memory. Treasure the memory of holding your little granddaughter in your arms and feeling how tiny and soft she was.” The Lion smiled as he heard the silence of Elizabeth taking in his words.The mountain was appearing ahead of them. It wasn’t very large, and a gasp left Elizabeth’s lips as she saw it.“The mountain! It shrunk!” she exclaimed.“No, you simply see it for all it truly is,” he said. “To your people, it is a mountain. It cannot be moved, it is too steep to climb without the proper equipment, and it is wide. To me, it is a hill. I can walk up it with ease. It is not tall.”Elizabeth was again quiet, presumably taking in all that he had said. One paw in front of the other, he began on his way up. His claws sank into the hard stone, supporting him as he made his way up. Darkness had fallen in the time that he had been walking, but at the top of the mountain was a soft white glow.“What is that?” asked the woman.“The entrance to the afterworld,” he answered. “Only spirits can see it.”“Are you a spirit?” she asked him.“Yes, I am,” he replied. “I am an old spirit, tasked with the job of delivering the newly deceased to the afterworld.”“What is the afterworld like?” asked Elizabeth.“It’s perfect,” he answered simply, reaching the top of the mountain with those words. He stood there and turned his head to face her. “You can get down now.”Elizabeth slid down off his back, leaning against the Lion and lifting one hand to pet his mane gently. “Will it hurt? I’m scared,” she said softly, a frown on her lips as she gazed up towards the white light above.“You will feel only peace. You will understand that all your fears were for nothing, and you can rest easy there,” he answered. As he spoke, a smile came to her lips, and a frown came to his. The white light was drawing nearer, almost like arms reaching for the young woman. Her silvery hair fluttered in the breeze and she arched her back, leaning into the light.“Thank you, Lion,” said Elizabeth.“You’re welcome,” he said solemnly, watching. The light grew brighter, almost blindingly so that he had to turn his head away. The light soon dimmed, returning to nothing more than a glow above the mountain. Elizabeth was gone.There was sadness in the Lion as he padded away. He hated that he had damned yet another innocent soul to the torturous nothing of the afterworld. He hated that he had lied to her. Every word, every promise, everything. It had meant nothing.

It's not very good because it's just something I threw together, but there you go.
The characters are Elizabeth and Lion. Elizabeth is an elderly woman from a small village who died while out gathering berries. She is kind, loving, and affectionate. Lion is a magical being that delivers spirits to the afterworld. His amulet releases the spirit from the body and then he carries it to the nearest afterworld access.
The conflict lies in Elizabeth's worries and fears. Now that she is dead, she is sad and afraid. The Lion wishes to resolve this conflict by calming and reassuring Elizabeth. The goal is to carry Elizabeth to the top of the mountain and send her into the afterworld.
The photo takes place at the moment when the Lion promises Elizabeth that she will be at peace when she goes into the light. Elizabeth is smiling and happy because she trusts the Lion. He promises her peace and no fear, so she believes that there will be no more fear or worry. The Lion is frowning and sad because it was all a lie. The afterworld isn't what he told her it would be, and he hates doing this to innocent, sweet, loving beings like her, but he has no choice.

Large beige paws shifted some pebbles as they powerfully fell to the ground in a leisure pace, almost dragging across the earth. The owner of the large paws, a male lion who was larger than average, stumbled among the volcanic stones, exhaustion clearly apparent in each step he took. His head hung low and his tongue lolled out of his mouth, moving with his sharp pants, and his tail and eyes drooped. The amulet around his neck, the band made of solid gold and the gem being the purest of all rubies, softly reflected the full moon's light from directly overhead. Letting out a yawn, he shook his fur and stopped, turning his large muzzle to the sable sky dotted with glowing specs of blues, reds, whites, and more. He wanted to just plop down where he stood, wanted to sleep away the pain and torture, but he couldn't. Not yet. He had to find HER. His love, she had to be here. She always was when it was his birthday, and at the moment, it was the only safe place for them to meet.

"Tyson..... Is that really you?" The lion brought his gaze back towards the ground and his eyes met the brilliant blue ones of Auria, the women he loved. She was just as he had remembered. Beautiful flowing platinum hair, ocean blue eyes, a round face with delicate features, even her favorite baby blue dress that complemented her curves perfectly. He had told her of his curse through letters he sent over his journey (as he never lost the ability to write), but her expression said it all. She was terrified. "Fear not, my dear Auria. Though I have become quite ferocious, I am still me, my love." The lion's head lifted slightly as his wife, his darling, backed away. He had forgotten she could not understand him, at least not like this. So he dipped his defined head, eyes fixed onto the woman's bag. She looked uneasy before tossing it over, keeping her distance. Tyson the Lion delicately removed some parchment and a writing utensil, writing down a quick note. The woman seemed to relax, for she knew no other lion could write.

It took some time, but once he had finished, he placed a giant paw down on the parchment before backing away. The woman cautiously went over, unsure as to if Tyson was still the same, and picked up the hastened note (or as hastened as a lion's note could be). It read:" Yes, my sweet Auria. It is I, Tyson. I have finally returned home after the years of being away. The witch had tricked me and so now I become what I am inside every night. Such an idea back fired for neither of us have expected my inner animal to be the most Powerful. I am now able to protect you better, however, such a reward did not come without a cost. I have changed, but I am still the same. Please let us watch the show just as before without any concern of what I had become. This is all that I wish. I had traveled far and wide just to come here and once more be by your side."

The woman teared up, wiping her eyes as she took in a sharp jagged breath. Releasing the rough textured paper from her hand, she ran over to the man, at the moment, lion, she had waited years for, throwing her hands around his thick unruly mane. How could she have doubted him? She loved Tyson and knew he wouldn't hurt her, but she was afraid he would have changed to better fit his new look. As she pondered it, she realized that he had not changed because he had already fit the bill, and now he was even more majestic and handsome. Auria released the lion and faced the mouth of the dormant volcano they were at. She leaned against her mate as the wind picked up and toyed with her hair.

Both man and women turned towards the sky to see the Northern Lights, which was rare in there part of the world. In astonishment the pair gazed as the dancing lights, feeling able to touch them with how high they were from the ground. The lights glinted off of the amulet around Tyson's neck and the ruby started to glow subtly. The glow started to build as the Northern Lights drew closer and closer, and soon the two were engulfed. Tyson started to raise in the air, and the amulet shattered. He glowed brightly before falling back to the rocky earth, no longer a lion. No, instead he was a man with curly brown locks and very well defined muscles. He was oddly clothed, though the clothes were tattered, and he was in a deep sleep. The Northern Lights faded and Auria stood there in amazement. "The curse... Has been lifted...." Her voice was small and shook slightly as her eyes started to tear up once more. She sat next to the male figure and pulled his head into her lap, running a gentle hand through his hair. "Tyson... Just as the Shaman said.... 'The Lights will lift what has been placed....' The witch cursed you, but now the curse has been lifted... You're you again..." She spoke to calm herself, unaware that her lover was hanging onto every word. He was free... He could be with her again without fear of harming her... He was at peace.

This is loosely based on Native American belief of inner animal spirits and their culture. It ties greatly into how nature plays an important part in one's life, as shone by the northern lights breaking the curse. When the lights are close but not yet upon the two is where this image took place. The characters, Tyson and Auria, are lovers who had been together for over 20 years. The last 5, Tyson had to journey to a far away land to answer important questions, and on his way he meets a witch. The witch ask him to do a favor for her, but when he failed, she believed him to have a weak spirit and cast a spell. He turned into a lion and vanquished the witch, soon returning home to his beloved. He found that with each passing night he would turn into a lion and it was due to the amulet around his neck, of which could not be removed. After hearing of the curse, Auria , of a Native tribe, spoke to the Shaman, who gave her a prophecy. On Tyson's birthday he arrived home, meeting his wife in their special place, where the prophecy comes true. The show is the village lights from below, the northern lights were just an unexpected surprise.

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